The Clothes Were an Illusion
by BadWolf Writer
Summary: A drabble from Clara's perspective during the Time of the Doctor scene where the Doctor tries to keep Clara warm. Spoilers for the Time of the Doctor.


She knew that she should be very, very afraid. Terrified, absolutely horrified, alarmed, fearful, panicky even. She was on a freezing cold planet, called Christmas of all things, that was broadcasting a signal that was scaring every sentient being in the entire universe. And they were stuck on it without the TARDIS or any actual plan, as far as she could tell and it wasn't like he usually had a plan, anyway. So in all reality, she should be quite scared. The problem was, there was a hitch in reality right now that went by the name of 'Holographic Clothing'.

The thing about holographic clothing was that you could see it and yet it blatantly disregarded the whole seeing is believing thing if you got too close.

Clara didn't notice immediately. It took he about .5 seconds to register that she could feel his hands on her bare arms, which was approximately .5 seconds longer than she usually took to register his hand on her skin when he touched her hand or her cheek. She realized that not only did she feel bare, but she physically felt bare as well. And then it occurred to her that she'd hardly even said she was cold when his hands were on her. She nearly shrieked as he spun her around and wrapped his rather bare-feeling arms around her chest, rather close to her not-actually-clothed breasts. She could feel the bare, fit chest that she'd seen but an hour ago when he'd not had on these holographic clothes. She'd stopped him, turned and blushed and grinned. How could he not know what he did to her, after that reaction? This was getting out of hand.

Oh stars, this was confusing. To the casual onlooker, it would seem as if they were just two people sharing warmth or maybe cuddling. Did the Doctor Cuddle? Did he cuddle after a good shag? Oh, boy, she really needed to stop thinking like that. She also needed to stop thinking about all the unconventional and rather dirty public uses you could use these clothes for. Oh hell, this was all of her fantasies wrapped in one. It was like seeing a present under the tree before Christmas and having to wait for someone to give it to you.

This was unfair. It was like accidental foreplay. Was that even a thing? She might be the first girl to ever have experienced accidentally naked second base.

As soon as she'd leaned into him, he was running a hand down the bare skin of her side, to her hips, as he pulled away. He was speaking, something about the town, but she wasn't listening. She was wondering if he realized what he was doing to her. Probably not. Chin boy was as innocent as a child most of the time. In fact, she felt like a creep for just thinking about him like this. The trick was don't fall in love. The trick was losing it's charm after so many uses. She shook the thought and spotted something in the stone, moved forward to poke it with a stick, in true companion matter.

"Oh my god. There's something under the snow. It's-"

"What is it?"

"Cold."

"Okay just stand back please, Clara."

She patted it with a laugh, "It's stone. Just stone, it's only a statue."

And then he was grabbing her and explaining something ridiculous and she was back to have very, very altered priorities, answering him rather distractedly and pulling on her foot It was getting increasingly less important to get her foot out of the angel's grip and more important to listen to the stupid groaning noise the Doctor was making while pressed up against her backside. And she could feel his rather human appearing groin against her optically-clothed bum and she could indeed confirm that he felt like a human, too. To hell with her if she hadn't imagined this exact position once or twice… or actually quite a lot. Daydreams tended to get the best of her when she wasn't with him, and even when she was with him. Oops.

God forbid she ever get drunk and lose the semblance of inhibitions she had against this. He was the Doctor, a madman. He was a big ol' space kid. She was scandalizing a 1300 year old toddler. On the other hand, he surely didn't look like that back when he was flirting so suavely with Tasha. Clara thought she liked her endearing, stumbling Doctor better. When did her life get so complicated?

Right. When he'd shown up on her doorstep, completely invested in her. And hadn't he been excited to be her boyfriend just earlier? No, that must be in her head.

Then she was falling, naked, tumbling down a hill with the Doctor. Naked. This was getting too was just about ready to abandon all self control. They had to run, then, and she'd never been so glad to do so in her entire life. (Actually, she had. About every time she'd been caught daydreaming.) And then he was bald. And she could still feel the tingling trace that his body left on hers. But no, He was her Doctor and she had to be his companion. He was her Doctor that got bored without her and shaved his head. Her Doctor who grinned and chuckled as if life was grand and they hadn't just been in mortal danger. Her Doctor with delicate eyebrows and rocket fin ears. He needed a friend, somebody to take care of him, and that's who she was.

She chuckled, "Good to be wearing clothes again! That's so much better, don't you think?


End file.
